Details | RetWAVE

RetWAVE is a project aimed at creating comprehensive hardware and software solution to diagnose retinopathy of prematurity of newborns. Main focuses are: creation of retinal cameras with automatic express diagnostics and tools for building telemedicine networks, that support examination, consultation and diagnostic process.

Key directions

Creating an affordable pediatric retinal camera
Unique technology for fast automatic recognition of the basic forms and signs of retinopathy with the possibility of diagnosing.
Advanced technology for building a multi-level network of telemedicine consultations with the support of a formalized consultation and diagnostic process.

Pediatric complex RetVIEW

This device will combine high optical and technical characteristics, technology for automatic pathology recognition in real time mode and telemedicine station.

Intelligent help in diagnosing

System, that recognizes basic forms and signs of retinopathy is a part of the diagnostic station RetVIEW. This is extremely important for rendering assistance in diagnostics, first of all, in case of absence of communication and / or autonomously operating complex. The doctor-diagnostician will have the opportunity to get an indirect "consultation" based on a specially prepared expert set of data. Intelligent assistant will allow determining the type of pathology and the stage of the pathological process, and also will prepare the text of the draft conclusion.

Also, Intelligent Assistant will significantly reduce the amount of workload of both diagnostician and expert in terms of preparing conclusions (within the network of telemedicine consultations), since the initial diagnosis will be delivered automatically and a draft conclusion will be prepared.

Telemedicine network

The telemedicine network should be built on the existing territorial-subject organization of medical diagnostic facilities. Namely:

District and city medical and preventive institutions dealing with the problems of premature newborns;
Regional competence centers (pediatric clinical hospitals, specialized dispensaries and centers) providing consultations on ordinary cases;
Federal centers (clinics of federal importance, experts of global levels) providing consultations on complex cases.

Specialized telemedicine stations at the doctor's workstation will allow the transfer of diagnostic images and video stream to the remote consultation center to the relevant expert in real time.

The formalized consultation request from the lower level of the network gets into the dispatch center where it is processed in accordance with the developed and approved regulations (supported by a formal process) for the interaction between the participants in the telemedicine network and is sent to a top-level specialist (taking into account competence, workload, work schedule, etc. of the professionals providing telemedicine services). An expert of any level providing consulting services can monitor the examination process in real time and, if necessary, correct the actions of the examiner.

Introduction of this telemedical technology allows not only organizing the consultative and diagnostic process on-site using the nursing staff, shifting the task of diagnosing the disease to highly qualified experts, but also storing the archives of the consultations (which may be useful for further training of the specialists) analyzing the specialists workload, predicting the need for medical care in cases of retinopathy of prematurity, forming a representative selection to train automatic recognition mechanisms.

This telemedicine technology allows excluding the need to transport patients for consultations, shortening the results waiting time from several days, and sometimes even weeks, to several hours, consulting non-transportable children.

Practice (worldwide) has shown that thanks to this kind of technology, with a timely diagnosis and timely surgical care, it is possible to save central eyesight in 80-93% of the diseased children and, accordingly, provide them with not only survival but also an acceptable quality of life, which allows solving both the medical and social aspects of the problem.

Thus, after equipping clinics, that in charge of the premature of newborns care with diagnostic equipment (RetVIEW) and telemedicine stations RetWAVE, and providing clinics and expert center with the communication channels for the transfer of diagnostic information, the following results will be achieved:

The number of children with disabilities due to retinopathy of prematurity will decrease dramatically in the country / in the world;
The costs of providing highly qualified medical care will decrease (both through the use of the ordinal ophthalmologists, and due to the lack of need to transport the patient);
Diagnostic results waiting time will decrease;
It will be possible to organize the exchange of experience between medical experts without interrupting their work, regardless of their territorial location;
An opportunity for an integrated approach to the record and analysis of telemedicine services provided, as well as for forecasting the need for such services by the population will be ensured.